Hearing this stupid reasoning yet again for a few accidental shootings that were on the news recently, I realized that this is the most common excuse for an accidental discharge.

And I think I smell male bovine doo-doo.

I've been handling firearms for 46 years now, under all types of conditions, and I've NEVER, EVER discovered a round in a chamber that I didn't know was there. ESPECIALLY when cleaning a firearm!

I was taught the old school way (and I hope it still being taught that way), where you check the breech on ANY firearm that you pick up, even if it was handed to you by someone else that you saw check that same breech. Not just visual, but many times physically too. That's what your pinky is for! I do it now out of force of habit.

Methinks that a lot of these, "I was cleaning my gun and it accidently went off", excuses are coverups for people that,

1. Don't know what they're doing.

2. Were screwing around doing Lord knows what with a loaded gun, and the gun did exactly what it was designed to do....shoot a projectile......

3. Were extremely CARELESS and it finally caught up to them.

Whatever it is, I wish they'd get their heads removed from their posteriors, so that no one else gets killed or injured, not to mention a black eye for the rest of us.

Sadly enough a classmate of mine died from this very situation. Her father was a local police officer and was cleaning his service pistol. Forgot to check the gun and it went off and hit her in the throat. I'm not saying that it isn't a freak accident, or that it is not avoidable. All I know is that it happened and he has not been the same since. I don't know all the details that lead up to the event but maybe if you clean your gun every night you take things for granted from time to time?

As much as my heart goes out to any parent that would accidently take the life of their own child.....an event so horrible that I cannot comphrehend it....and also admitting that I don't know the details of this particular case....if it happened as you say, it was still a case of negligence. I don't care how many times you clean you gun you ALWAYS check the breech. Everytime, no exceptions. This tragic example is why.

And this may seem harsh, but an LEO of all people should know better. It's the tool of their profession.

I learned this before joining the Army. Count the rounds in and out. In the Army after every range firing exercise, a metal rod was shoved down the barrel to make sure nothing was there and release the bolt to move forward. I still count in and out. When moving to a stand I only load three rounds. If I need more then I cuss and I have a few in my pocket. Count in and out.

John
U.S. Army Retired and Proud American
Black Water Hunting Club
" BUY AMERICAN "

Some people just don't have the respect for what a firearm can do. LEO's an Military should have the knowledge and respect for one due to the training they receive, but as the old saying goes...."familiarity breeds contempt" or in this case carelessness. I have a very good friend that had to patch a hole in his roof due to an instance like that ....once done it struck him that his son could have been in the room when the gun went off...he hasn't touched a gun since. I started being taught gun safety almost before I could walk and I have messed up exactly once. (Which is all it takes) I dry-fired a "unloaded" 410 when I was about 8 in my great grandfathers house. Just pointed it out the window and snapped it without checking the breach...(I knew it was unloaded because I had unloaded it and set it in the corner not 30 minutes before) turns out another cousin came through and put a shell in it to shoot some blackbirds in the yard and did not unload it again. Long story short...there was a 3 inch hole in the window screen, a very scared boy and a scared old man who taught me a lesson about firearms safety with a set of leather reins I won't ever forget. Every gun stored in my house or in proximity to me and mine when in camp are safed period.

It matters not the weapon nor its caliber, rather the caliber of the one who wields it.

When I was a boy, I was able to go hunting with my mentor (a gentleman 13 years my senior), and another older man who I always knew to be a cheerful, nice old guy. We were hunting, and when we stopped for a break, this old fellow casually remarked to my mentor, to, "Tell your young friend, that if I see his muzzle pointed my way again, that I will stick it up his......"

I was shocked, to say the least, but I DID watch my muzzle religiously after that!!!!

Thats a great story WW. I dove hunt a close friends farm, we usually have 30-40 guys the first 2 days. After everyone gets thier limit we meet back at the trucks and have a drink or two and chew on some deer sausage. The rule is, if you set your gun down with out the breach open, you are not allowed to come back, PERIOD. Best rule ever.

Gramps owned a car body shop in town and I remember that several times a year men would have to bring their guns down to the shop and gramps would have to dislodge a stuck shell....I don't get it..how do you do that?....I never put a shell in my gun that I don't check the safety...the barrel...and what caliber shell is stamped on the casing ...before loading my gun.......